Students, mentors take to ice Jan. 26 in celebration of mentoring

Posted
Tuesday, January 22, 2013 1:00 pm

The Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership (RIMP) will host its first ever "Mentoring on Ice" event for National Mentoring Month on Saturday, Jan. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Bank of America Skating Center in Providence.

Invited to the celebration are mentors and mentees associated with the four school-based programs RIMP administers and the more than 60 programs statewide with whom RIMP collaborates, as well as friends, families, program coordinators, donors, supporters, and elected officials who are committed to supporting youth in the state through mentoring.

"We wanted Mentoring on Ice to be a fun way to celebrate mentoring in Rhode Island during National Mentoring Month, when all across the country the spotlight is being shone on mentoring," said Jo-Ann Schofield, RIMP president and COO. "Studies have shown that mentoring plays a powerful role in boosting academic achievement and workforce readiness, and reducing violence and preventing substance abuse."

Thanks to the generosity of the city of Providence, mentor and mentee pairs can get rink entrance and rentals for a discounted cost of $5 per mentor/mentee pair during the event on the 26th. Friends and family who register with RIMP at www.mentorri.org can get a reduced rate of entrance and rentals of $4 per person. All participants must pre-register.

"As we're all aware, it's an incredibly tough and complex world kids are growing up in right now," said Schofield. "What being a mentor is all about is just that – being there to listen, offer encouragement and provide support. An hour a week is all it takes."

More than 5,500 students take part in programs associated with RIMP. However, hundreds of more youth in need in Rhode Island are on waiting lists for mentors.

"We're lucky to currently have such committed mentors across the state who are dedicating their time to helping keep kids ‘off thin ice,’ so to speak," said Schofield. "RIMP wants to raise awareness during National Mentoring Month that more mentors are urgently needed."

Those interested in learning more about mentoring opportunities in their area can call RIMP at 732-7700. For more information about RIMP, go to www.mentorri.org.